A Rest in Fujinomiya

"Jack, relax..."

After diving in headlong with over 200km of hard riding over two days, we decided to catch our breath and do a little sightseeing in the Fuji-side town of Fujinomiya. Recharging our legs for the coming days seemed like a good idea, and there were two places we really wanted to see.

Clouds building around the base of Fuji-san.

The first was the impressively named Fujisan Honguu Sengen Taisha, a very old and important Shinto shrine that predates recorded Japanese history (which started ca. 800AD). Located in the middle of the city, this is where pilgrims traditionally start their climb, in the past purifying themselves in the Wakutame-ike, a pond that is fed by an underground spring that itself is fed by the snow melt from Fuji-san. The water that comes from the spring is some of the cleanest in Japan and visitors are encouraged to leave a 100 yen offering and fill a provided bottle with the spring water.

Wakutame-ike 

The source of the spring

for only 100¥ donation

In the late 12th century, the first shogun, Minamoto Yoritomo held hunting and war games parties at the base of Fuji-san, and began the tradition of yabusame, mounted archery during the festivals at the shrine.

The main shrine building itself is clean and well-maintained, indicating that it is a well-followed and worshipped shrine. Many shrines across Japan are minimally maintained, as followers dwindle. As we were walking around the grounds, we could see miko, the traditional shrine maidens, working in the courtyard and would hear the booming sounds of the oo-daiko, the large taiko drums used to mark the beginnings and endings of services. 

A miko setting up the offering box and sweeping

This beautiful gate dates back to the 13th century

Our second destination was the Shiraito Falls, a waterfall just north of Fujinomiya, fed by Fuji-san that is several hundred feet wide and falls in hundreds of "threads"

Shiraito no Taki

panoramic view

A short walk away is its sister falls, the Otodame Falls

Smaller, but still impressive

And another short walk away is an oddly-named monument "The Hiding Rock of the Soga Brothers

Yup, it's a rock

The legend says their father was killed by a rival family when they were young and they swore revenge on the man who ordered the kill. That man, Kudo, was a retainer of the first Shogun, Yoritomo. When Yoritomo held one of his hunting parties, the brothers plotted to kill Kudo and hid behind this rock while planning, and the noise of the nearby waterfall made it too difficult to hear. So the legend says.

After a morning of sightseeing, we grabbed some lunch and headed back to the hotel to do laundry, be lazy and pack up for tomorrow's ride to the coast and the city of Shimada.